The Fourth Gem
by Xena001
Summary: This is a Pokemon Rangers: Shadows of Almia story. When you adventure with your best friends, no matter what happens, you can get through it. Even if one of your friends isn't exactly who they say they are. Rated T just in case.
1. Prologue

It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon at the Ranger School. There was the occasional chirp of a Taillow outside, and one could see a Charmander being chased by an angry Pichu just past the window. Shayde, just 15 at the time, stared at her homework for the day and got right to it, checking her book to make sure she wasn't mistaken on anything. Being a Ranger was her dream. She loved Pokemon and wanted to do anything and everything she could to make sure they were kept safe and sound.

She put her pencil down after about half an hour and sighed. All done. She was glad her teacher, Ms. April, was very easy on the homework. She didn't go on and on about completely unimportant things and got right to the point. Her lessons were usually short and sweet so the students had more time to get the work done. That way, the to-be Rangers, Mechanics, and Operators could practice and hone their skills. The same couldn't be said for the other teacher, Mr. Kincaid. From what Shayde had heard, he went on and on about anything and everything. Most of the students he had didn't neccesarily like him, but merely tolerated his theatrical attitude.

Shayde got up from her chair and left the library to go to Ms. April's room. She might as well turn her homework in now and head out to practice capturing with her school Styler. She knocked on the door and frowned when there was no answer. Usually Ms. April was in her room, grading papers or preparing the next lesson. Shayde tried the doorknob and was surprised when it turned. The room wasn't locked, so where was the teacher? She didn't think on it too much and entered anyway, glancing around.

The room was brightly lit with the sunlight streaming through the window, but the lights weren't on. Shayde walked to her teacher's desk and put her homework down then walked back out of the room, shutting the door after her. Once she was back in the main hallway, she turned and went outside to go practice. As she walked around, she heard soft talking and decided to follow it. The sounds led her to an open window and she recognized it as the Conference Room window. It was open about halfway and she could hear Ms. April and Principal Lamont talking. "...new student arriving tomorrow. I trust that you will help her settle in," Lamont said and she heard Ms. April agree in that soft, sweet tone of hers.

There was the sound of footsteps and a door opening and closing after the talking had ceased. Shayde frowned slightly. A new student? It was almost halfway through the year. This new person would be awfully far behind. But she also knew that Ms. April would help the student catch up as quickly as she could. Shayde had started almost a month late herself since she had moved from the Fiore region, which was quite a ways away from the Almia region that she now currently lived in.

She shrugged and sighed softly. She would just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what this new person was like.

**Super short introductory chapter! In case you haven't noticed, this story goes along with Pokemon Rangers: Shadows of Almia. I will follow its storyline as best as I can, but of course there will be some moments that I will put in to add to it or give some more clarity on the situation. The next chapter will be longer, naturally. Can't always have short chapters. Bye for now!**


	2. The New Kid

**Woo! I'm back after a small hiatus. Honestly, I've had no inspiration lately. With homework beginning to pile up, tests and quizzes starting to pop up, and solo/ensemble contest on Saturday (I play the violin), I just haven't wanted to write. I guess it just got to the point where I got annoyed with the constant ideas bouncing around in my head and I had to write them down before I went crazy. I'm gonna guess you're bored now so onto the story...**

Thursday morning:

Shayde woke up, bright and early as always. Some of the other girls in the dormitory were already up. The school was very small, so there were only about four or five girls, and they all shared a large room. Just outside the door and across the sitting area was the boys dormitory. She grabbed her school uniform, which was green, and went to the bathroom to get changed and get herself freshened up for class.

After brushing her hair and teeth and getting dressed, Shayde stepped out of the bathroom. She grabbed her books from her nightstand and left the room to head downstairs and get some of that crisp morning air in her lungs to help wake her up before class started. She sat down in the grass in the courtyard just outside the school, not really minding the cold morning dew that got on her. She had done this enough times that the water no longer bothered her. Out of the corner of her eye, Shayde noticed Janice feeding the school Bidoof and smiled. Those Pokemon loved that woman very much. Often when Janice would be sweeping the sidewalk or raking up fallen leaves, they would follow her around in that little group, sometimes even helping with small things, like digging to help Janice in the small garden to the east of the school.

The school bell rang, snapping Shayde out of her thoughts. She stood up quickly and grabbed her books, speed-walking to class. She sat in her seat and glanced around. Everyone was there, except for one person that sat two seats away from her. "Late as always.." She murmured under her breath, though it wasn't in a rude way. Her friend, Keith, sat there and this was a very normal occurence. He was almost always late to class. Ms. April would usually give him a stern look and a word of advice to get up instead of ignoring his alarm and he would always nod and give a proud grin, saying, "Yes, Ms. April. Don't worry, I will." Of course, Keith never stuck to his promises, and almost every morning, he would get the same lecture.

The door opened and closed and Shayde turned her head to see Keith sauntering casually over to his seat. He waved his hand at her and she returned the gesture as he sat down. Normally, Ms. April would've been here by now. She was never late.

The door opened a second time and this time, everyone turned their heads to see their teacher walk in, smiling pleasantly. "Good morning, class. I apologize for being late. We have a new student coming in and I had to help them get settled in," she explained as she took her place at the front of the classroom by the podium. Everyone murmured excitedly, and Shayde glanced at Keith, who looked half-asleep and disinterested at the news. Typical. He never really cared about new students.

"Who is the new kid?" "Are they a boy or girl?" "Are they cool or cute?" "How well did they do on the entrance exam?" The whispers floated about the room, coming in rapid and hushed tones.

Ms. April clapped her hands lightly to get everyone's attention and the whispers ceased immediately. "You can answer those questions for yourself. Come in!"

And with that, the door opened for the third time in the past five minutes and everyone turned aorund completely in their seats to get a good look at their new classmate.

**(A/N: If you are reading my other story, Futatsu no Koneko, you'll recognize this character. I will sometimes recycle characters but don't worry. Her personality will be somewhat different. It would be stupid to use the exact same person in a completely different story.)**

Shayde couldn't help but stare. This person, with her extremely long black hair, was completely different from anyone else she had seen before. Her hair reached her knees! People didn't normally grow their hair out THAT long. And those eyes. Those crystal-clear, sapphire-like eyes. They were so mystical, like looking into a deep ocean. This girl's figure was very slight as well. She was so thin, it looked as though she would break if she were to fall over. Her skin was also incredibly pale, as though she had never been in the sun. Such a sight was almost impossible not to gawk at, and Shayde had to blink several times to stop staring. She probably wasn't the only one with that look on her face.

The girl stayed just inside the doorway, too frightened of the staring teenagers to move. Ms. April simply smiled warmly and walked to her, gently resting her hand on the girl's arm to reassure her. The girl smiled back and seemed to visibly relax, though she did her best to hide her face behind several strands of hair that were out of place. Ms. April led her to the front of the class and Shayde glanced at Keith. Still nothing. He hadn't paid any attention yet.

"Class, this is our new student, Xena. She has come a long way to study here to become a Ranger." At this comment, Keith's head shot up and a grin slowly made its way across his face. Ms. April noticed the look and frowned slightly when he let out a laugh. "Do you have something to say, Keith?" She asked. "So...how long did it take for you to finish the entrance exam? All morning?" He questioned with a slightly demeaning tone. Xena looked down and murmured something, clutching her books tighter to her chest. "For your information, Keith, she finished as soon as the test started. She never used her Styler," Ms. April said sternly and a few confused whispers came from the students. "When Mr. Kaplan released the Pikachu for her to capture it, it walked right up to her and sat down as though she had used her Styler to form a bond with it," she explained.

The information sank in and the entire class was silent for a few moments. Ms. April took those few moments to let Xena sit in her seat: right between Shayde ad Keith since that was the only empty seat left in the class. Shayde smiled pleasantly at the new student, not showing any sign that she had seen Keith's mildly irritated look just a few feet away.

Xena smiled back and placed her books on her desk before looking back to the front of the room, where Ms. April had begun talking about that day's lesson. Shayde gave Keith a look across the way that said, "Don't be mean to the new girl." He sighed softly and nodded, knowing that she would be mad if he picked on this new person. Honestly, he didn't really care, but she was his friend and it would just be easier to not get into an argument with her, so he turned his attention to the lesson as well.

**Kind of an odd end to the chapter but I ran out of ideas. I no longer have any inspiration to write. If you guys can review or something, it'd be much appreciated. Maybe go read my other story, Futatsu no Koneko. I could really use the encouragement right now. Thanks for reading as always. Bye!~~~**


	3. Chapter 2 and a Half: The Capture Test

**Hi. I'm back again. It's been over two months now. I've had writer's block to the max and I just haven't felt like writing. Now I've got a creativity overflow so I'll update my stories and then probably stop again for a while. This is gonna be a slight explanation chapter to the Capture Test.**

_Earlier that week..._

"Okay, welcome to our secret team. If you pass the test, you will be an official member of Team School!" The man in front of Xena said gleefully and did a little dance right in front of her. That said man was Mr. Kaplan, one of the Rangers that helped with the entrance exam. Needless to say, Xena was giving him the weirdest look ever. "Now now Mr. Kaplan, I do believe that you're frightening her," the woman standing beside him said sternly. Her name was Ms. Claire. She seemed to be the more level-headed teacher in this situation.

"You do know how to use a Styler, right? If not, then I can explain it to you," Ms. Claire said with a small smile. Xena shook her head and glanced back at the teacher standing behind her. She called herself Ms. April, and to be honest, Xena liked her. She was nice, but had a slight no-nonsense attitude.

Xena looked forward again to see her target: a Pikachu. It sat on its hind legs and sniffed the air, then went back down to all fours and trotted around a bit restlessly. Xena looked down at the School Styler on her wrist, then back at the Pikachu. Instead of starting up the program for Capture, she shut it off and walked right up to the Pikachu. Mr. Kaplan was about to stop her when she picked up the Pikachu and cuddled it, smiling.

Mr. Kaplan stood there, mouth wide open since he was going to tell her to be careful, but quickly shut it since that was no longer necessary. Xena looked up to see all three teachers staring at her in surprise and tilted her head as the Pikachu nuzzled her affectionately. "How in the world did you do that?" Ms. April asked and Xena frowned. "It was easy. I just walked over and picked it up. Is that...odd?" she questioned and recieved nods for an answer. "You use the Styler to capture the Pokemon so it's safe to be near them. You don't just walk up to them because it could be very dangerous," Ms. Claire said and Xena looked down. "I think you will be okay actually. But to be safe, let's try another Pokemon," Mr. Kaplan said and went to get a different Pokemon.

They all waited until he brought back a few Taillow, all of them fluttering around and chirping loudly. He let them fly around the room and smiled. "Now try to catch them. Without a Styler. They're very flighty so it'll be a bit of a challenge," he stated and looked at Xena. She nodded and looked around at the Taillow, frowning slightly. Instead of giving chase, she simply held her hand out and stood silently, waiting for at least one to come over. After less than a minute, one had already flown over and perched on her shoulder gently, chirping happily. Soon after, the rest followed suit until she had Taillow on each shoulder and arm. She hadn't even moved from her spot, but smiled as the Taillow chirped and occasionally pulled at her hair with their beaks.

"Just as I suspected. You're very very good with Pokemon and befriending them. I think you'll be just fine. But a word of advice? Use the Styler just so you'll be safe. Looks like you passed the test with flying colors. Welcome to Team School!" Mr. Kaplan exclaimed excitedly before practically skipping out of the building. Ms. Claire sighed softly and shook her head before following him. Xena watched as Ms. April walked up to her and smiled softly. "Welcome to the Ranger School. I hope to have you in my class," she said with a nod and Xena returned it. "I hope so too. You seem like a very good teacher."

**Well, I guess this would be the end of chapter 2.5 I suppose. It's short as usual because I ran out of ideas. If you guys have any suggestions I would appreciate it because honestly, I'm having a hard time on what should happen next. I guess this is bye for now!**


	4. Tours and Initiations with Bidoof

**Hi again! I guess I'll just get on with the story and not waste your time...**

By the time Xena had sat down in her seat, she was getting very weird stares from just about everyone in the class except Ms. April, Shayde, and Keith. Keith wasn't looking at her at all, despite sitting right next to her. Instead, he was giving her the cold shoulder. It was obvious that he didn't want too much to do with her after getting the news that she had crushed his record for the Capture Test without even capturing the Pokemon.

Ms. April continued teaching the class, occasionally glancing over to see if Xena had any questions since she hadn't learned anything on using a Styler or conveying your feelings to a Pokemon's to capture it. She wasn't too worried about the latter part since it seemed as though she had an easy time conveying those feelings of friendship to a Pokemon without the use of a Styler. Around nine-thirty, which was only an hour into class, Ms. April decided to stop so the students could have a free period to catch up on homework and study. "Now, I want you to use this time to study. Have a wonderful rest of the day, class!" She said brightly and the class replied with the standard, "You too, Ms. April!" before many of them got up and left to do others things, like go to the library or practice capturing Pokemon.

Just before Shayde left the room, Ms. April pulled her aside. "I hate to ask, but could you please show Xena around the grounds and school? I'm a little worried that she will wander off and get lost," she said softly and Shayde nodded, smiling. "I was actually just about to show her around. Don't worry, I've got it covered. Have a great afternoon, Ms. April," she said and with a small wave, she took off after Xena, who she had seen walking outside.

Shayde caught up to her after a few minutes, finding her near the garden patches, which were currently filled with small, green sprouts. "Hey! You feel a little more comfortable here?" She asked and Xena jumped slightly since she hadn't heard her come up behind her. "Uh...yeah..I guess so.." she murmured and flinched when Shayde patted her back. "I wanna show you around. Okay?" Shayde pressed on with trying to get Xena to talk more but by that time, Keith had walked up and grabbed her shoulder, grinning like a doofus. "Hey new girl," he said and without any regards to her personal space, pulled her closer by her shoulder until she was almost pressed up against him.

Xena let out a squeak of surprise and her face immediately turned red. "L-Let go of me!" She protested but her voice came out as only a whisper and Keith leaned in to hear what she was saying. "Ah..fine. Go have fun, new girl. For now," he said with a laugh and walked away, ignoring the glare that Shayde shot at him. "Don't worry about him. He can be a jerk to new people. But after a while he warms up to them. Just don't let it bug you too much," Shayde said and Xena nodded, still looking freaked out from being suddenly handled.

And with that, Shayde showed Xena around the grounds, first showing her the library and introducing her to Isaac, the blonde boy with a mushroom haircut that seemed to be very reserved and intelligent. Next was the dorms upstairs, which were separated into boy's and girl's sections. After that was visiting the other classroom. The teacher's name was Mr. Kincaid, and Xena then learned that his...interesting..hairstyle could only be achieved by using lots and lots and LOTS of hairspray. He didn't seem too happy to see them, however, and shouted at them as they quickly left. "Don't run in the hallways!"

Shayde then showed Xena the Training Room, which was where she had taken the Capture Test early that morning. Mr. Kaplan and Ms. Claire greeted them both and gave them a quick lesson on doing Target Clears. After that was over, Shayde led her to Ascension Square, which had the Pledge Stone. "Students come here and make promises to be the best they can be with their friends. It's kind of cool, you know?" Shayde asked and Xena nodded, staring up at the Pledge Stone with some interest before they left to go to the dorms since it was beginning to get a little late in the evening by that time.

**Initiation**

At midnight, all of the students quietly got up and met in the large room outside of their dorms, each taking a seat in a chair around the study tables. "Okay, new girl, it's time for your initiation. Your task is to find the four School Stylers that have been hidden around the school and put them in front of the door in the basement," one student said and Xena nodded quietly, not sure on how to react to this sudden challenge. "We drew straws, and Keith has to go with you to make sure you complete the test," another said and Keith hung his head in shame at having lost the straw-drawing contest. It had been just his luck to pick the longest straw.

And now he was walking with Xena downstairs to the first floor, almost falling down the stairs in the process since it was so dark. Once they reached the end of the stairs, Keith looked around, squinting to see. The school was a lot more eerie now compared to the bright hall during the day. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the outline of something several meters in front of them and screamed, startling Xena into screaming as well. She immediately clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder. Keith held her close instinctively, shutting his eyes tightly. After a few seconds he looked back over to what had been in front of them and let out a sigh of relief. "It's just a Bidoof...jeez this place is creepy. Let's just get this over with so we can go to bed," he muttered and let go of Xena, but she didn't let go for several more seconds. In the meantime, Keith could feel his face turn warm in embarrassment. "You can let go now. It was only a Bidoof," he said and she let go. In the dark, he could barely see her silhouette, so he missed her face going as red as a Charmander.

Afterwards, they went around gathering the Stylers. One had been in Ms. April's room. Another was in Mr. Kincaid's room. A third was in the library, and Xena had had to have Bidoof clear the crates that were in there to get to the Styler. The final one had been in the Conference Room. Once they had them all, Xena and Keith went down to the basement.

Keith walked towards the basement door, half-dragging Xena behind him. The moment they had set foot down there, she had tried to leave. "Come on. Let's just get this over with," he grumbled and kept trying to pull her until she whimpered. He frowned and looked around, only to be greeted by a few Gastly that had appeared. Keith stepped back quickly and turned on his Styler, instructing Xena to do so as well. After a few minutes, the Pokemon had been captured. "It's okay now. You don't have to worry about the Gastly anymore," he said and was answered with a soft whine. "It's not them. You don't hear that weird noise?" She asked softly and he went silent. Indeed, there was an odd sound that was coming from nearby. "My head is beginning to hurt.." Xena murmured and Keith sighed. "Come on. We'll drop the Stylers off and get out of here quickly."

And that had been exactly what they had done. Xena had put the Stylers down and grabbed Keith's hand despite his protests to let him go and run out of the basement as quickly as possible, dragging him with her.

Once they were back up on the second floor, they took seats across from each other and caught their breath. Keith looked up at Xena, noticing that she had gone pale. "Are you okay? You haven't been acting right since we got in the basement," he said, feeling mild concern. She nodded and stood up, sighing. "That noise hurt..I don't know what it was but I hope that I never hear it again. Good night," she said abruptly and went to the girl's dorm, leaving him sitting there silently, frowning. What had that noise been anyway?

**And that is the end of chapter 3! Super long I know (not really, but longer than I have been writing recently). If you've played the game, then you know what is down in the basement. If not, don't worry. It'll be explained in due time. Those that do know, can you guess on why Xena heard the noise and it gave her a headache but Keith was unaffected? Please leave a review so I know that poeple are actually reading this story, and be prepared for the next chapter in this story and Futatsu no Koneko. Baiii!**


	5. All Work and No Play Equals?

**No A/N this time, just right on to the story...**

Once Xena was settled at the school, she quickly got started on catching up on everything she had missed prior to her arrival. Every day, she would stay after class so Ms. April could teach her the previous lessons and get the homework, then go to the library or the study tables outside the dorms and start working on all of her assignments diligently.

However, after a week, Shayde was beginning to worry about her. Her and the other girls had noticed that Xena stayed up incredibly late working on her assignments, so late in fact that no one had ever seen her even go to bed. When they got up in the morning, she was always gone. A few students had found out she was also having early lessons with Ms. April before class. There was also the difference in her during class. Xena always seemed to be having a hard time staying awake, and had already nodded off a few times during the new lessons.

This morning was a surprise to just about everyone. When everyone was getting ready to go to class, they had found Xena sitting at a study table, head down and sound asleep. There were homework papers and lesson notes scattered everywhere on the table. No one wanted to bother her, so they all just went to class and left her to rest. Of course, her absence was noticed immediately by Ms. April, but no one would give her an answer as to where she was. Instead, they lead her back upstairs, where Xena was still quietly asleep.

Ms. April shook her shoulder and she jumped, sitting up immediately. She glanced around in confusion, then saw that everyone was staring at her and her face flushed red in shame. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep!" She started to apologize but Ms. April cut her off with a gentle smile. "It's fine. It seems that I've been giving you too much material at once," she said softly and Xena couldn't help but smile back sheepishly.

Afterwards, everyone went back to class to finish the new lesson and as always, Xena stayed after to catch up. She went back upstairs to work on her assignments, only to find all of the other students up there as well. They were all sitting in small groups, working on their homework. She sat down at the same table as Shayde and Keith, getting to work silently.

The entire time they sat there working, none of them spoke a word to each other until Xena stopped to look through her book for the lesson that her worksheet was on. "Hey, you need help?" Shayde asked and she nodded, moving her paper so she could read the question. Shayde looked at it, then flipped through her book to show Xena which part of the lesson explained it. "I still don't understand. The answer doesn't make a lot of sense," she said and frowned. "Okay..how do I explain it? Keith, can you help us out here? She isn't quite understanding this," Shayde said and poked him with her pencil. "What's the question?" He asked and got up to sit on the other side of Xena, which was a little difficult since the bench was really only meant for two people to sit on. "Oh, that? You might need to ask Rhythmi, since she's studying specifically to be an Operator. Hey Rhythmi, can you come over here?" Keith called and a girl with curly, platinum-blonde hair from one of the other tables glanced up before walking over.

"Yeah, what is it Keith?" she asked with a curious look. "Xena here doesn't understand this. It has to do with Operators and since that's your speciality, it would probably be a good idea for you to explain it," he said and showed her the paper. Rhythmi's face brightened and she smiled, looking over at Xena. "Okay, I'll explain it as simply as I can."

And she had launched into an in-depth explanation instead of keeping it simple, ignoring the confused looks from both Shayde and Keith. Xena, however, seemed to understand it perfectly and nodded every once in a while. Once Rhythmi had finished, she nodded curtly and did a little theatrical bow. "That makes a lot more sense. Thanks a lot, Rhythmi," she said with a bright smile. "Makes more sense? You confused me even more," Keith replied and sighed dramatically, shaking his head. Rhythmi laughed and shook her head, then went back to her table.

"She seems nice. I like her," Xena said quietly and Shayde nodded in agreement. "She's a bit of a smarty-pants, but she is a good person, and reliable." Keith glanced between both of them and waved his hand to get their attention. "Hey, wanna go outside and practice with the Stylers? I'm getting kinda bored of just sitting here and doing all of this stuff," he pouted. "You haven't even done that much. Jeez, you slacker. Pick up the pace so you don't fail the test, or I'll have to hit you," Shayde said with a hint of irritation. Xena looked at them, tilting her head. "You two act odd. Are you..?" She trailed off, pointing between them. "What? Oh, no, we're not together," Keith said quickly, rubbing the back of his head in embarassment. "Haven't we actually been asked that before?" Shayde asked and tried to think. "Yeah, by Isaac. I think it was that one time we went to study out in Ascension Square because it was too loud anywhere else," Keith replied, sighing.

"You know what? You have a point. I'm bored too, so let's go outside," Shayde said and stood, the other two following suit. They cleaned up their papers and got the table cleaned up before heading downstairs and outside. Once outside, however, they were greeted with Janice trying to chase down several Bidoof that had gotten loose. She stopped in front of them, out of breath. "All of the Bidoof got loose! I accidentally stepped on the leader's tail and it all got out of hand!"

"We'll help! Come on, let's round up those Bidoof!" Keith declared and Shayde and Xena nodded, all running off in different directions to cover more area.

**I feel that this chapter was much longer than others recently, which is a good thing. Sorry that it's been so long since I updated last. I had to get through the last bit of the school year with finals and everything and just didn't feel like writing. But now I'm on summer break so I have a lot more free time, finally! And I get to hang out with a few of my friends every once in a while(Shoutout to Kare-bear and Sunshine even though you won't read this). Well, wait until next time where we will see if the trio can catch the runaway Bidoof and see what all will happen next, and be on the lookout for the next chapter to my other story, Futatsu no Koneko. Bye!**


	6. Capture! Bidoof and The Outdoor Class

**I'm bored. Writing time. Woo. I'm quoting a ton from the game so I better say this sooner than later: I do not own these characters or terms or quotes. Nintendo and Game Freak own them, as well as their creators. I OWN NOTHING. If I did, my own characters would be in there, but alas, I do not so onto the story!**

* * *

><p>Once the three had split up, it was only a matter of minutes before the Bidoof were all caught. Keith and Shayde met back up only to find Xena not there yet. They searched around for her, finally finding her trying to calm down the leader Bidoof. She was sitting in front of it, smiling and talking to it gently. It still seemed pretty angry, but not as much as before when they had started trying to capture the Bidoof. At that time, it looked very upset about its tail being stepped on.<p>

"C'mon, Bidoof. Let's go back to Janice. She's really sorry for stepping on you. I know that she'll apologize and I bet she'll even give you a treat," Xena said and scratched behind its ear. The Bidoof let out a happy sound and cuddled up to her, letting her pick it up and stand to face both Kaith and Shayde. "I think he's ready to get back," she said with a smile and they nodded, following her back to where Janice was.

Janice looked relieved to see that all nine Bidoof were captured, calm, and safe. She smiled, then turned to Xena, who was still holding the leader of the nine. "I'm so sorry, Bidoof. I really didn't mean to tread on your tail. To make it up to you, I'll give you all extra tasty treats. Come along now," she said and Xena put the leader down and it nuzzled up to Janice's leg, forgiving her for the accident. "And thank you, you three. I couldn't have done it without you, with all of them running around the way they were," she said. Keith gave her a thumbs-up and out of nowhere, did a backflip, landed, and held his Styler to the sky. Shayde laughed and twirled around, stopping herself from a second revolution with her foot and also held her Styler to the sky. (They do this in-game so if you don't believe me, it's on YouTube.)

Xena stared at them blankly, tilting her head to the side. "What..are you guys doing?" She asked and they turned to face her. "We were practicing our Ranger poses. You should try to figure out one too. They show your style and overall coolness," Keith said with a grin. Xena nodded and then squeaked in surprise when he pulled her into a hug, then dragged Shayde into it. They all started laughing while Janice walked away to feed the Bidoof "tasty treats". After a minute, they separated and caught their breath, but Xena was standing there with a shocked look on her face. Shayde looked over and noticed that her face had gone bright red. "Hey, are you okay? Your face has gone all red," Shayde exclaimed and Keith looked over, mildly amused. "I think her face got like that when I pulled you both into a hug. What is it, you like me or something?" He asked and Xena's face went a deeper shade of red, stepping back a little and trying to hide her face behind her hands. "I'm just messing with ya, new girl!" Keith laughed and ruffled her hair, pulling her in for another gentle hug. She squeaked and her face went another shade of red, then she finally hugged him back, laughing softly. "I think we should head inside now guys. We've had an exciting afternoon, and we all have homework to do," Shayde stated and the other two pulled apart, Xena still looking horribly embarrassed but Keith as usual looking unabashed.

(The game skips to the next month so I have to as well...)

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><p>(Basically this entire section is directly from the game...)<p>

"Do you all know what day it is?" Ms. April asked the class. Today was the day that everyone had been waiting for. They'd been talking about it for the past two weeks. "Outdoor Class!" Everyone cheered, making quite a ruckus. "I have 38 questions to ask the Ranger!" Keith proclaimed rather loudly, above the volume of everyone else. "Now now, everyone quiet down so we can go outside," Ms. April said firmly and they all immediately went silent before filing after her.

Once outside, everyone went to Ascension Square, where a Ranger with an afro was waiting patiently for everyone to arrive. Once they were all there, he cleared his throat. "Hello everyone! My name is Crawford, and I am a former student of this Ranger School. Great to meet you all today," he said and everyone greeted him back. "I am now a Ranger in nearby Vientown. This is my Partner Pokemon," he grinned as a Budew came out from behind him with a cheerful, "Bud!", "And these are my Friend Pokemon." A Bellossom, Cherubi, and a Swellow then came from seemingly nowhere.

"Wow..so cool.." some of the students murmured in excitment, but then turned their attention to Ms. April. "Hello, Crawford. It's been a long time! But that giant explosion of an afro..I think I liked your hairstyle the way it was before," she said with a smile.

Mr. Lamont took this opportunity to speak from behind everyone: "Let's get to Outdoor Class's main event: The Question-&-Answer Session of Terror!" And he stressed the very last word slightly.

One of the boys piped up first. "Crawford, why did you decide to become a Ranger?"

"Well, it's because I love Pokemon. I wanted to become friends with them. You know, to bond with them. Besides, it's a cool job!"

"That's the same way I feel! I'm glad I asked you!"

"I have a question! What kinds of Pokemon are difficult to capture?"

"Well, speaking only for myself...Psychic and Ghost-group Pokemon, yeah. They have this habit of going poof and disappearing during captures."

"Ghost Pokemon do that?!"

Then Rhythmi spoke up. "Me! I'm next! My name is Rhythmi (yea like we didn't already know that, blondie...). There isn't anything I'd rather do than become an Operator. Do you think I can become one? You can tell I will become one, can't you?"

Crawford turned to her with a wide grin. "I'm only seeing you for the first time ever, so it's not like I know, but...Sure thing! No problemo! You'll be an Operator all right!"

"That's right! Those are the words I wanted to hear! Yes!" Rhythmi exclaimed happily. Keith turned to her and sighed. "Rhythmi..are you maybe confusing our Ranger with a fortune-teller or something? Excuse me Ranger. How about me? Will I become a Ranger?"

Crawford chuckled and then turned to Keith. "Say, aren't you confusing me with a fortune-teller, too? But, I can tell this about you: your strong will shines through loud and proud. I'm sure you'll make it. Why, you might even have the fixings to make a better Ranger than me! But that's if you can avoid spinning your wheels, so to speak."

"Uh...Is that right?! I'll do the best I can. Um, okay, here's my second question..."

Another female student cut him off. "No fair, Keith! One question each! Ranger Crawford's busy, too. So, on to my question. Have you ever made any mistakes?"

"Mistakes, you ask? That's all there was when I started. Like the time I dumped juice all over my Styler. That was nasty. Or the time I tried to capture a stuffed doll. Oh, and another time, I put my Ranger uniform on top of my pajamas...Hold up, don't make me say these things!" He suddenly realized what he had been saying, but it was too late, and everyone was laughing at him.

"What makes you glad that you became a Ranger?"

"I'd have to say the big smiles we get to see after helping people or Pokemon in need."

"I hope I get to see smiles like that soon!"

"That's the spirit! Keep that spirit burning, and you'll be sure to succeed. You know, I'm looking forward to the chance of working with you folks some day. Keep a positive attitude and work hard!"

Everyone quickly chimed in with a collective, "We will!"

"Ranger Crawford, has Ms. April ever been angry with you?"

"I'll say she has! She used to blow up at me once a day!" Crawford said with an uneasy laugh and Ms. April stepped in. "Now you know that isn't true. It wasn't once a day. It had to be at least three times a day. But, that's not the whole story. Crawford was a wonderful student. He kept everyone's spirits up with his kindness and sense of humor."

"Does anyone else have any questions?" Mr. Lamont asked and there were some glances around, and that's when everyone seemed to notice that someone was missing. Xena wasn't standing where she had been before. They looked around to find her sitting on the pier at the east end of Ascension Square, staring down into the water with her fingertips just below the surface of the ocean. "Xena, what are you doing?" One of the students called to her and she looked up with a slightly pained expression. "Out there in the water," she pointed as she spoke, "there's a Pokemon that's hurting."

"I'm sorry, but if something like that had happened, I'd get a Voicemail from my base leader-" Crawford started before his Styler started ringing. "Voicemail! Voicemail! Crawford, do you hear me? It's me, Barlow! There's a Mantine hurt off the eastern shore of School Island. The Mantine apparently ran into a cargo ship. Luana's headed to the School by boat for you. Join up with her, Crawford, and head to the site immediately. We're going to need your help on this one!" The voice on the other end said. "Roger, Leader!" Crawford replied and ended the transmission, first looking at his Styler, then at Xena, who was staring back, bewildered.

Unfortunately, everyone was staring at her as well. This awkward moment lasted until a boat pulled up at the pier and Xena had to run back to everyone to avoid getting splashed. "Crawford, get on, quickly! We're heading to the site!" A female voice called from the boat. "I'm sorry that I have to cut this short, but since the students are so worried, I'll report back on how the mission went. Bye everyone!" Crawford called as he ran to the boat and hopped on, the students calling and waving after him, shouting their goodbyes.

"Well everyone, that was the shortest Outdoor Class ever. But it certainly was the most gripping and realistic as well. Okay, everyone, back to class!" Ms. April called and one by one, the students left, giving Xena odd looks or even the occasional glare as though she was a freak until only Shayde, Keith, Rhythmi and Xena were left in the Square.

"How did you do that? Be able to tell that the Mantine was hurt?" Keith asked and Xena looked down. "I..could just feel it. Its aura, those emotions, I can feel them. Maybe its why I can befriend Pokemon so easily, and why we understand each other so well," she murmured. There was no way she could tell him the truth. They'd think she was insane, or a freak of nature. There was no good outcome.

"It's pretty cool. In fact, I'm getting even more pumped up about becoming a Ranger. I still have 37 questions left, but I think I'm going to have to find those answers myself!" Keith stated, practically punching the air in excitement. "A real Ranger guaranteed that I would become an Operator!" Rhythmi said gleefully, seemingly not affected by the Mantine incident. "There are no guarantees anywhere, Rhythmi. You have to grab your dreams and make them come true," Shayde told her, smiling. "You think I don't know that? I'm going to do it! I'll make my dream come true!"

"I'm not going to lose, either. Not when I've got great rivals like Xena and Shayde! Hey, why don't we all make a pledge right now by the Pledge Stone? Let's pledge to each other that we'll make our dreams come true, and that no matter what, we will always be by each other's side even when we're not there and be best friends?" Keith asked and the others nodded. "That's the spirit! Let's get back to class!"

And with that, all four of them began walking back, but Xena stopped after a few steps, glancing back at the ocean, then around the Square. She could have sworn she had seen something shadowy nearby. She saw piercing, ice-blue eyes watching her from the shadows and shivered. Her secret was haunting her, LITERALLY.

**OH MY GOSH THIS CHAPTER IS LOOOONNNG! This took like 3+ hours to write. And the Q&A session I took directly from the game. If you've never heard of this or played it, watch Foxiify play it on YouTube. She does great voice acting. And now I go to bed. G'night everyone. Btw, if you notice a spelling or grammar mistake, lemme know. Grammar Nazi here, and I hate finding typos/errors.**


	7. Memories and Thieves

**Deciding to write again. Could've done it all summer, but I didn't feel like it. I'm too lazy. But now I'm in school again, so I probably won't write that much anyway. Maybe a chapter every two weeks if I think about it. Also, I have no internet, so that could make everything more difficult. I have two college level classes at school and a dual-credit class, and I am planning on doing some assisting for a teacher, so my schedule will probably start being packed soon. I don't really look forward to it, but at least I'll have good teachers to look forward to. So last time, Bidoof went everywhere, that kind of thing. And there was an Outdoor Class. Crap went down with that, and now people think our main girl is a freak. Onto the story, where this is more of a filler and I should stop this A/U now.**

The next day was horrible. No one would look at Xena right. Mostly, she was avoided like the plague, but some gave her nasty glares. Keith, Shayde, Rhythmi, and Ms. April were the only ones to actually act normal around her. They didn't treat her any differently than normal, which was a relief.

After class, our trio of friends (has anyone noticed how most stories and anime have the three friends? No? Just me?) went upstairs to do their homework while everyone else went outside, still trying to stay away from Xena. As they were flipping through books and writing, Xena had a thought. _How is it that I can talk to Pokemon and feel what they feel? _She stopped writing for a few seconds, trying to wrap her head around that thought. She didn't know where or when that had started. Her first memory was nothing short of odd, and it was so fresh in her mind she could picture the entire scenario and play it out in her head.

_Waves. Loud, crashing waves. Like, right by your ear, like if you had been listening to it through a megaphone put next to a seashell, with the former attached to an amplifier. The ground was soggy and cold, and on...my face? Are you on the ground?...Open your eyes, stupid. How else are you supposed to tell?_

_**"Hey, you'll catch cold out here if you lay like that for too long. The tide'll wash right over you." **__Someone else? Who is it? Wait...what if it's a bad person?! You don't know what to do! __**"Are you awake?...Hey, wake up, kiddo." **__A slight nudge on your leg. _

_You sit up to see an old man standing there, staring out at the very nearby ocean. The waves gently nudge your feet. Geez, how cold is this water anyway?! Wait..how did you get here? Struggling to gather your thoughts, it occurs to you: You don't know who you are. Name? Gone. Hometown? Negatory. Where you are currently? Nope. Trying to keep your internal panic at a minimum, you hear the old man speak to you again. __**"Hey, are you alright? It's pretty early in the morning, and finding people asleep on the beach isn't a normal occurence."**_

_**"Y-Yeah..where am I? And who are you?" **__You hear yourself ask, staring at the endless ocean sprawled out in front of you. __**"This is Nabiki Beach. People around these parts say that if you meet someone here, you'll be friends forever. So far, it's held up to that standard. As for my name, it's Woodward. I'm the local woodcarver. And you are?" **__He asks and you stare at him, speechless and unsure of what to say. You can't tell him you can't remember your name! How dumb is that? This whole situation is weird. You wake up on a beach early in the morning with an old guy there? It sounds like something straight of a fairy tale. A really, REALLY messed up fairy tale. You have to come up with something quickly, but before you get the chance... __**"It's alright if you don't trust me. I can understand that you're a bit jarred from waking up someplace unfamilar with someone you don't know asking you questions." **__Woodward sits down in the sand beside you, sighing. You don't really know what to say still, so you keep your mouth shut._

_This whole situation is really odd. Seriously, what is going on? You try to think of your past, but there's nothing. No memories of a home, family, or friends. There's something there, but it's so hazy that you can't really tell what exactly is going on in there...is that a crystal? Wait, there's more than one. It's a little clearer now. There are four of them. Blue..red..yellow..and white? Wait, there's one more, but it's like ten times bigger. It's purplish black, spiky, formidable looking. And in front of each crystal is something. But..you can't really tell what any of them are. A blue, canine shape, a large red quadruped, and a purple-yellow floating thing with a kind of moon shape. By the huge, blackish crystal is something almost as dark. All you can really see of it are piercing, icy blue eyes. It makes you feel as though your entire body has gone cold at the sight of it, even though you're only remembering it. Whatever this thing is, it's terrifying. But what is that whitish crystal? You feel connected to it somehow, like it's really important but you don't know why. There's something in front of it too, a small black shape. But it all seems to be fading out, and you're struggling to keep it from going hazy, but it's too late. It's fading, and the next thing you know, your shoulder is being shaken._

_**"Hey, wake up. Like I said, you'll catch cold out here." **__Woodward's voice calls and you sit up, startled awake. Wait, was it all a dream? No..he's still here. Those crystals, that must've been a dream, but you feel it has something to do with your past. It must be super important. And those creatures, the things seemingly guarding the crystals, they're important too. A sudden warmth envelopes you, and you sigh in relief, not realizing how cold you had been. __**"There. Now you won't freeze to death. You were sitting there and the next thing I knew, you were asleep again. So I went home and brought you a blanket. Now, I believe you should tell me your name now, miss." **__He says and you smile slightly. He isn't rude, but you still can't really remember your name. As you open your mouth to tell him that you don't know, something else comes out. Foreign, strange, and unexpected. __**"Xena." **__You shut your mouth quickly, about to apologize since you're not completely sure what you just said, but he cuts you off. __**"That's a very pretty name, miss Xena. I understand that you don't know how to get home?" **__You find yourself nodding without really thinking and he helps you up. __**"If you want, you can stay with me until you can figure out how to get home." **_

_Someone you don't even know is offering their home to you until you figure out who you really are and how to get home? This is sooooo weird. But..you can't refuse. He doesn't appear to be a bad person, and he is willing to help you until this mystery can be solved. You nod, hoping that you can figure this out soon so you don't have to be a burden to this kind man._

Xena snapped out of her deep thought process when Keith gently hit her on the head with his textbook. "Earth to Xena. You still there?" She blinked a few times then looked up, seeing that both Shayde and Keith were staring at her oddly. "You okay? You were staring at the wall for like 20 minutes..." Shayde said and she nodded. "Sorry, just thinking about some stuff."

"Care to elaborate?" Keith asked. Xena didn't really know what to say, but the thought of those crystals made her curious. "I'm not originally from Almia, but I..heard this legend that's from here that has something to do with four special crystals. Do you guys know anything about it?" She asked and Shayde reached into her bag, pulling out a small children's book. "Yeah. It has to do with these three princes and how they came together to save their father from darkness. It's a pretty well known story and some people think that it's true. You can read it for yourself." She handed the book to Xena, who thanked her before opening it and starting to read it, ignoring her homework.

She sat there, intensely reading for about half an hour, not noticing that Keith and Shayde had finished their homework and went outside to get some fresh air. _The princes in blue, red and yellow..._ She thought, frowning. There was nothing about guardians. In fact, the story really didn't help a whole lot. The only information that was any helpful told vaguely about the locations that all three princes had been at. The blue prince had stayed in Almia Castle, the red prince had gone to a volcanic area, and the yellow prince had moved out into a desert somewhere. However, it still wasn't very helpful since she had no clue as to where any of those places were. _Maybe I'll learn where they are later. For now, I should finish my work and try to figure out where I'm from and who I am. Those are my main questions, and I'm not any closer to solving them. Those crystals and locations are my only leads..._

A few days later, everyone was back in class after having a couple of easy lesson days. Ms. April had told the class the day before that she was able to borrow two official Capture Stylers from the Ranger Union, and that was what they were talking about now. They were like the School Stylers, but better. They were upgraded and had Voicemail capability, allowing for both video and normal calls. While Ms. April was talking about it, Shayde noticed that the class was much quieter than usual. She glanced around and noticed Keith wasn't in his seat. Class had been going on for nearly half an hour. There was no way he ignored his alarm again and didn't come to class, right? He had gotten better about waking up on time, which was good since Ms. April didn't have to repeat her lecture every single morning.

"Now, how about some volunteers to test out Voicemail? How about...Rhythmi and Keith?" She asked, but frowned when she noticed Keith wasn't there. As she was about to say something, the classroom door was flung open, hitting the wall. Everyone jumped at the loud bang and turned around to see Mr. Kincaid standing in the doorway, brushing a somehow-loose strand of his hair out of his face dramatically. "Ms. April, do you have any missing students in your class?" He asked rather loudly. "Mr. Kincaid, that was very rude of you not to knock. But to answer your question, yes. Keith isn't here. Why?"

Kincaid gave a satisfied smirk and walked into the classroom. "We had a number of Stylers stored in the Staff Room. Had, I say. They are now missing and as you can see, Keith is also missing. I understand that you can make that connection." The news went through everyone like a punch, but at least one person didn't believe it. "Now, Mr. Kincaid, isn't this exactly what you preach? Not to blame others until you have the evidence to prove them guilty?" Ms. April said accusingly, and he seemed to flinch back, albeit only a little. "I believe that we should find him first without placing blame."

Xena got up from her seat silently, pushing her chair in. "And just where do you think you're going?" Kincaid asked. "To go find my friend. You've got this all wrong. He's no more of a thief than anyone else in this classroom. You're so quick to place blame on the troublemaker, but he's not a bad person. Reckless? Stubborn? Yes, but truthful and not willing to risk his chance to become a Ranger for something as stupid as this situation, and you know it."

And with that, she brushed past him (more like pushed him...) and left the room. "She's right. We should split up and look for him before we start blaming people." Shaye said and got up, the other students following suit. "Rhythmi, Shayde, take these," Ms. April said, holding out the Capture Stylers, "Use these to communicate. They'll most likely be a big help. Let's go, class, and find Keith."

**And the end of this chapter! Woo. Wrote this over a span of two days. Next time, we'll see where Keith is and what happened to those Stylers. Can you guess why those crystals are so important? And what's this about that white one? Sounds like an opal. You'll learn about it later on, but I'd love to hear your guesses on the whole situation. Think on it. The "guardians", the crystals, Darkrai, and waking up on Nabiki Beach with no memory? Odd, huh? Well, until next time, so bye!**


	8. Fiery Leaves, Flaming Winter

**Hiya there! This is the next chapter, woo! However, it's not just gonna follow the storyline ALL the time. This is straying a bit and this chapter is gonna be fairly short so...on to the story!**

It had been about a month or so since the stolen Styler incident, and there was now a definite chill in the air. Fall had arrived and winter was rapidly approaching. The leaves were turning brilliant shades of gold, crimson, and sunset orange, and it was just positively stunning to see. The entire school yard was covered in leaves, much to Janice's dismay. She was always busy raking them up, it seemed, and she had students help her several times.

Currently, it was in the evening, close to Halloween (they celebrate it right?) and the students had been playing tricks on each other, and on the teachers, mostly Kincaid. Someone was stupid enough to prank Ms. April by putting a spring-loaded toy Ekans in her desk. Needless to say, she got all of her students back by letting them run around outside for a while and then locking them out.

So currently, everyone was outside waiting for someone to let them back in. Most were complaining about it being cold since it was close to sunset and the temperature was dropping steadily. Keith, Shayde, and Xena were sitting in the grass in Ascension Square, watching the sun set over the ocean past the dock. "Wow..I haven't really watched a sunset in forever. It's beautiful," Xena murmured, leaning back on her hands. Keith was on her left and Shayde was sitting on her right, which she didn't really trust because of all the pranks lately, but they were her friends, so she had to trust that neither of them would do anything stupid.

"Yeah, that's true. We've been so busy with school lately, preparing for the big tests before winter break, that we really haven't come out here just to hang out. But we should thank Ms. April y'know?" Keith grinned and glanced at the other two, and they nodded. "You're right. Can't believe we're almost halfway through school already. We'll be Rangers in a couple of months. That's so exciting and scary at the same time," Shayde agreed, sighing happily.

Xena could only nod, thinking to herself again. _Halfway through and I haven't learned anything about where I came from. Mr. Woodward couldn't really help me at all with that thing called vatonage. Maybe I should really start looking in the books in the library about it. Otherwise I'll never get anywhere. _She was shaken out of her thoughts when Shayde pushed her right into Keith, making her fall on him. She let out a squeak of surprise and blushed, shoving herself back off of him. Keith didn't look like he knew how to react, just sitting there, stunned. "Shayde why did you do that?!" Keith finally clicked back to reality and snapped at her, making her stop laughing. "Because I thought it would be funny. Jeez, never thought you'd be the one to take it so seriously, Keith," Shayde huffed in irritation, getting up. "Normally I wouldn't but you see what you did?" He pointed at Xena, or at least where she used to be. She had taken off to someplace else while Keith had been yelling at Shayde. "Oh...where did she go?" Shayde went to go look for her while Keith just sat there, sulking.

"Why on earth would she do that? She knows how easily Xena will get upset," he remembered just a week before when she was running after them and got quite forcibly stopped by Mr. Kincaid, who proceeded to yell at her for not only running, but being friends with him because he was "such a horrible example of a student". She broke and started screaming at him and managed to yank out a chunk of his hair before running off and hiding for the rest of the day. They had found her sitting on the dock in Ascension Square and Ms. April had managed to coax her back inside to talk to her. Kincaid at least knew to leave her alone now after it cost him his precious hairstyle. But that was beside the point. It was dangerous to get her too upset, and Shayde had crossed the line and she should have known it. _Jeez..she's supposed to be the smart one around here.._

Finally, it was winter. There was several inches of snow on the ground, and the temperatures were nothing short of freezing. No one wanted to go outside because it was so cold, so everyone stayed indoors with the heat on almost 24/7. It was test time, so everyone was in their classes taking their final exams. In the middle of the test, there was a loud crashing sound and everyone in Ms. April's class looked up, unsure of what the sound had been. It sounded as though it had come from the hallway, so Ms. April walked out to check and immediately came back in, shutting her door.

"Okay everyone, let's leave our tests for now and-" she was cut off as there was a heavy thud against the door, startling everyone. "Ms. April, what is that?" Someone asked and before she could speak, there was another loud thud and growling coming from the other side of the door. "Can I go see? It sounds a little upset," Xena stood but Ms. April shook her head. "That's not a good idea, Xena."

She ignored her and went to the door to be faced with a very angry-looking Arcanine, clawing at the door and trying to smash it in by tackling it. "Hey now, calm down," she smiled and left the room to the dismay of Ms. April. She didn't want her to get hurt, but it seemed she had a way with Pokemon after the entrance exam, so she had to trust her. The growling continued outside for a few minutes and when it went quiet, that's when everyone became worried.

They slowly poked their head out to find the Arcanine laying on the floor with Xena scratching its belly. "It was upset because its person had to leave it behind. It just needed some attention," she smiled up at everyone before laughing as it licked her cheek. "You know you can't keep a Partner Pokemon since you're not a Ranger yet, so we can't let you keep it," Ms. April reminded her and the Arcanine began barking at her angrily, getting up. "Calm down, boy. Shh...I know, Ms. April, but he got abandoned by his person once already and he doesn't have anywhere to go. I don't want him to burn down the school because that's what he's about to do," Xena hugged the Arcanine around the neck, stroking his fur.

"Let's talk to Principal Lamont about this. We'll let him decide what to do. Come on everyone, we're taking a field trip," Ms. April chimed and they all went to the Staff Room where Lamont was doing some paperwork. "Yes? Oh, I see you have a friend. Is that what was making the awful racket?" He asked and Xena nodded, explaining what had happened to him. "I see..well, Ms. April is right. You're not a Ranger yet, so you cannot have a Partner Pokemon. However, it seems to be very attached to you already, and if it has already been abandoned, we don't want it to hurt anyone here or elsewhere. So, if you will take care of it, the Arcanine can stay here," he smiled at her and she hugged the Arcanine tightly, laughing. "Thank you!"

"One last thing. If it is going to be your temporary Partner, you should capture it," he reminded her and she nodded, turnng her Styler on and swiftly catching the large dog, tackle-hugging it again while it licked her cheek happily. "Now, I believe you should get back to your finals before you have to take them into the evening," he shooed them out and they went back to taking their tests despite having an Arcanine following them. There was no incident, no burning of anything, so it wasn't much of an issue, except it was BIG and took up a good portion of space.

And the rest of the day went along without incident. The tests were taken, and the students were released to go do whatever it was they wanted, since it was now officially winter break. Many students went upstairs to pack. They were going home for the holidays. Shayde was one of them, which left only Isaac, Keith and Xena alone in the school for the holidays. Within a week, everyone had cleared out, leaving the school quiet, empty, and eerie in the muffled silence of winter.

With two certain people always in close proximity for two weeks, plus a very friendly Arcanine, nothing could go wrong, right?

**Yup, a little cheesy, but we needed some filler before 1-Day Internships. You really can't skip 3-4 months, you know? And thanks to VisualStain for giving me the motivation to continue writing!**


	9. The Internship Crisis

**Hey everyone! Here's the newest chapter in this story, so be prepared!**

Spring had come. The last of the snow had melted away, and it was now beginning to get warm after a frigid winter. Since the seasons had changed, the students' curriculum had changed from just basic learning to more hands-on learning.

Today was the 1-Day Internships. Students were being sent to different locations for one-the-spot training. Mechanics and Operators were being sent to the Ranger Union for orientation, and Rangers were being sent to the Vientown Ranger Base. Keith, Shayde, and Xena were already prepared to head to Vientown, but were slowed down in their endeavor by Xena's Arcanine, who wasn't allowed to go with her since she wasn't an official Ranger. After some convincing and many belly rubs, they managed to get the Arcanine to lay down and wait patiently for them to return instead of rampaging and torching everything.

Now that they were on their way, the trio had the chance to talk excitedly about what they might do once they got to Vientown. Once they got to the Ranger Base, the trio took a quick look around the town and went inside, they were instantly called over by the Base Operator, who was standing at the desk. "Are you the students here for the internship? Here, take this package,". She handed Keith a large package and he held it gingerly, unsure of what to do with it. "This is a secret Mission. Take that package to Breeze Hill, which is just west of this town, past Nabiki Beach. Remember, do NOT tip it on its side. And never, EVER flip it upside down."

The trio nodded in confirmation and rushed back outside, Shayde jumping up and down excitedly. "Oh wow! This is so cool!" Keith said, punching the air furiously. "A Mission right off the bat! We better get that package delivered. Otherwise the people who need it won't be very happy with us..." Xena giggled, digging her elbow into Keith's side gently, making him bust out laughing. They all took off to the west of Vientown like they had been told, arriving at Nabiki Beach, a clean, quiet white-sand beach. A couple was standing near the shoreline, talking quietly and holding each other close. The trio walked past them to see Mr. Woodward, the local woodcarver feeding a Pachirisu, a Muchlax, and a Starly.

"Ah, Pachirisu, Pachirisu. So cute, so cute. What's wrong? What's wrong Munchlax? You're not saying you're hungry already? Ah, Starly. Go on, eat up all you like," Mr. Woodward said as he handed food over to each Pokemon, patting each on the head as he went around.

Keith and Shayde walked right up to him, leaving Xena to stay back awkwardly, trying to hide behind them. "The way you're dressed tells me you're students of the Ranger School, yes? On 1-Day Internships I would guess. Well, then, let me give you a quick quiz that you'll find enlightening."

Shayde opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off as Mr. Woodward continued talking. "Here's my first question: What is a Partner Pokemon?" He asked. Keith raised his hand slightly and Woodward nodded at him to give him a chance to answer.

"A Partner Pokemon is an especially friendly Pokemon that always goes with a Ranger," he said proudly, making Mr. Woodward grin. "Correct! The Rangers I know all said they met their first Partners here at Nabiki Beach. Question two! A Ranger can have only one Pokemon as the one and only Partner?" "No. That's not true," Shayde answered, and he nodded. "Correct again! A Ranger will get opportunities to add the second Partner and more as time goes on. But you can still only have one Partner accompany you at any one time. The other Partner Pokemon must remain patient and remain at home. Now go on, and head up to Breeze Hill, you three," he said with a smile and walked past them, Pachirisu, Munchlax, and Starly trailing after him eagerly.

Xena watched him go by and waved at him as he walked past her, then ran up after Shayde and Keith, who had taken off up the hill without her. When she reached the top, they were standing near several Rangers that she presumed were from the Base. There was an awkward silence as the three just stood there, unsure of what to say because the Rangers hadn't noticed them yet. "Hellomeetcha!" Keith blurted out unexpectedly, making everyone jump. One of the Rangers, a big, burly man with a Makuhita standing beside him looked up, staring at him weirdly. "Did...you just say 'Hellomeetcha'? You nervous or something?" He asked and Keith rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, laughing nervously.

"Ah, well no need to worry. Anyway, hand over the package and be careful. Don't tip it. Hold it straight up," he said and Keith handed it over, making sure he didn't tilt it at all. "Okay. Now..." the man opened the package to reveal several packed sandwiches, "Sorry we had to trick you three. But this isn't an actual Mission, and this wasn't an important package in the manner you might think," he laughed and the students just stood there, a little stunned, before laughing with the man.

"Anyway, my name is Barlow, and this is my Partner, Makuhita," he stood proudly before being pushed out of the way by a tall man with an afro and a Budew. "You guys know me. I'm Crawford! You met me at your Outdoor Class some months back," he said and waved. A girl with long black hair and a Buneary came over and stood next to Crawford, smiling. "And I'm Luana. I just became a Ranger last year. I fell for the same trick you guys did last year, except I kind of smashed up the sandwiches because I swung the package around, so everyone had a mushy lunch."

A woman wearing a pink uniform and headband walked up last, standing next to Barlow. "I'm Elaine. I'm a Mechanic."

The students introduced themselves and everyone sat down to lunch, though the trio stayed close together instead of spreading out to talk with the other Rangers. Xena sat very close to Keith, almost leaning on him as they ate, then stopped when he turned to start talking to Luana. She turned away from him, staring off the edge of the bluff. In the back of her mind, she felt that something wasn't quite right someplace. The order of something nearby wasn't stable. It was like with the Mantine all over again, except she didn't feel any pain. Just uneasiness. A subtle sense of uneasiness that was steadily growing, and had been once they had reached the top of Breeze Hill.

Loud stomping came from behind everyone, and they all turned to see a young man standing there, out of breath from charging straight up to them. "H-Help! Pokemon..on the beach..they have my girlfriend trapped!" He cried out, obviously very distressed. "What's going on? What happened?" Crawford asked, standing up. "I..I'm not sure! Pokemon just came up out of nowhere..they all seemed really agitated and they tried to trap me and my girlfriend, but I managed to get out of there..oh no..she's still stuck on the beach! I have to go do something!" With that, the man went running back down the hill just as fast as he had come.

Barlow got up and grabbed his Styler, looking around at everyone. "Okay Rangers. Sounds like an Emergency Mission. To Nabiki Beach! Move it! You three kids, you come too!" They all nodded and followed him down the hill to find chaos on the beach below. The Pokemon Mr. Wodward had been feeding earlier were now running around the young man's girlfriend, keeping her trapped in one spot. Woodward himself was standing there, looking confused. "They're friendly and docile usually! They're not like themselves!"

Xena watched as the girl tried to back up, but the Pokemon followed her, trapping her up against the cliff. "Please! Somebody! Help me!" The girl yelled out, pressing herself further against the rock wall behind her. Shellos were now coming onto the beach, making the area look like a circus gone wild. "Okay everyone! Crawford, you come with me and try to capture the Shellos! Luana, Shayde, Keith, and Xena, capture the Pokemon going after the girl!" Barlow yelled and charged in, everyone following quickly, instantly starting Capture. Luana went after the Starly, Keith the Munchlax, and Shayde the Pachirisu, leaving Xena without a Pokemon to Capture. She tried to stay out of everyone's way, and in the middle of Shayde, Keith, and Luana dealing with their Pokemon, she snuck in and got the girl away from the wall and safely out of the way of everyone to ensure she wouldn't get hurt.

Once everyone had finished capturing their Pokemon, the boy ran up and hugged his girlfriend, who hugged back, almost in tears. "Thank you all for helping save my girlfriend!" He exclaimed, just about ready to cry himself. "We heard strange noises from the sea..we noticed a big cargo ship pull away and disappear over the horizon. And then, all of a sudden, I was surrounded by Pokemon...I think they were scared of the cargo ship," the girl agreed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Well, whatever it was that happened, I'm just glad to see you folks are safe," Barlow nodded, sighing. "Crawford, Luana, do a sweep of the beach. Just to make sure we didn't miss anything."

They both nodded and set off to start checking for anything suspicious, and the captured Pokemon were released. When Shayde tried to release her Pachirisu, it just sat there, staring up at her innocently. "Surely they've taught you how to release Pokemon already, right?" Barlow asked and Shayde nodded, confused. Xena walked over, leaving the couple to keep loving up on each other, and knelt down by the Pachirisu, petting its fur. She watched it carefully, frowning. "I think...it's gotten attached to you. It doesn't want to leave. It wants to be your Partner," she said, straightening up, "Is that right, Pachirisu?" It squeaked happily and climbed up Shayde's leg, clinging to her shoulder for dear life and refusing to let go when she tried to pry back off. "Well you can't keep it as your Partner because you're not a Ranger. You'll have to release it for now," Barlow said and the Pachirisu looked sad, letting out a small squeak of sadness before hopping off of Shayde's shoulder and scampering into the nearby bushes and disappearing.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you guys will see each other again. You met on this beach, and those that meet here are destined to be friends, remember?" Crawford asked with a big smile. "Yeah. You're right. I just know I'll see it again someday. Maybe after I become a Ranger, I can look for it around here," Shayde nodded and Xena punched her shoulder playfully. "I think it'll seek you out as soon as it can, so you'll be seeing it really soon. It really liked you, Shayde. You'll definitely see it again."

"It's getting kind of late you three. You'd best be getting back to school before it gets too dark. Don't want you getting lost in the middle of the night," Barlow said gruffly and the students nodded, realizing that the sun was already beginning to set. The day had flown by without anyone realizing it, and it was going to get dark very soon. They said their good-byes to everyone and waved as they wakled away, heading back into Vientown and through it to get back to school. On the school bridge, they bumped into Rhythmi talking to a Pachirisu, who was sitting in the middle of the bridge, seemingly waiting for something. "Hey, that's the Pachirisu from the beach, Shayde," Keith pointed out and its ears perked up at his voice, then ran right over to Shayde, who cuddled it lovingly. "I'm really sorry little guy, but you can't come back with me. You have to stay out here in the forest for a little bit longer," she mumbled sadly and it let out a whimper before hopping out of her arms and offering a small flick of its tail as a good-bye before trudging back off into the nearby shrubbery. "It knows that it has to wait, but it doesn't want to. Be prepared for it to show up on school grounds to visit you each day," Xena said quietly and Shayde nodded, sighing. "Man, I can't wait for us to all be Rangers. It'll be so fun to work together," she groaned, stretching. "And I could be your guys' Operator too! Though after today, I'm sure I'll be put somewhere else because it seems like all the Ranger Bases around already have Operators..." Rhythmi said. "Ah, don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll learn more soon and hear from Bases that will need us," Keith patted her shoulder lightly, "But right now we really need to head back. I don't want to get in trouble for being late any more than anyone else." With that, all of them sprinted back to school, narrowly missing the deadline before they would've been very late and would have gotten yelled at by Kincaid for "running in the hallways" after everyone was already in bed.

**Well this chapter felt very long. The next will probably be a little shorter. Or longer. Depends on what exactly I'll put in. And how many details go into it.**


	10. The Graduation Complication

It was now the end of the year. The finals had been taken, and all of the students had passed. Some more than others of course, but everyone passed. Graduation was very close. In fact, it was only about an hour or so away. In that time, a lot had happened. Xena went from being a quiet, shy girl to being just as outgoing as Rhythmi, who had helped her overcome her anxiety, along with the help of Keith, much to Rhythmi's disdain. No one was even in class. They were all spread out through the school because the teachers had let everyone out early to say their good-byes. A few students were busy talking to Ms. April, and Isaac was with Mr. Kincaid someplace. Shayde, Keith, Rhythmi, and Xena were all outside in Ascension Square, away from the other students. 

* * *

><p><strong>Xena's POV<strong>

I was sitting in the grass next to my friends. I couldn't believe that after coming to this school over three months late, I actually managed to get caught up on everything and passed with an A. Now I was sitting with my best friends. Actually, they were the only friends I had. I hadn't found out anything else about those strange gems from my dreams, or where I was from. Everything before waking up on that beach was a total blank. I had nothing to go on. It was really frustrating, but I eventually figured that once I was out of school, I'd have more options and resources available to me, even if I had less time to actually search.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Keith shift and then stand next to me. He looked a little nervous and worried. That wasn't like him at all. I guess Shayde noticed the look too, because she asked, "You alright there, Keith?" He glanced over at her and shook his head. "I'm actually a little scared to become a Ranger. Dumb, right?" He laughed to himself, sighing. "Not at all. It's a little scary to think we'll be leaving here and going to the Bases to work. But we'll be together, so it can't be all that bad," Rhythmi said and smiled. Keith's face fell and he looked so impossibly sad for his usual bright smile that it began to really worry me. "Yeah..that's not gonna happen. I got accepted to a Base. But it's in Fiore. So after today, we probably won't see each other anymore," he mumbled, looking down.

As soon as he said that, my heart dropped. There was no way...this guy was the main reason I actually began talking to everyone! He was someone I really felt I could trust. Of course, it was the same way with Shayde and Rhythmi, but...

"Y-You're leaving? But..." My voice came out as a strangled squeak, and I felt tears welling up. I didn't want to lose my friend. I knew there was no way to do anything about it. That meant after today, no more Keith. No more dumb jokes, no more yelling at him for being late to class, no more of his bright smile. I felt a pang in my chest. I was gonna miss him like crazy. I couldn't be the only one feeling like this. It hurt. My chest..no, my heart hurt. What was this? I hadn't felt loss before. Was this what it was like?

"Xena? Hey, are you okay?" Keith's voice cut into my thoughts and I looked up to see him kneeling right in front of me. His face was right in mine. "You're crying. Look, I get that it's gonna suck that I'm leaving. But don't cry. I'm sure we'll all see each other again!" He grinned and I secretly wished he hadn't. That stupid optimism...I wasn't sure I was gonna be able to be a Ranger without him there to try and correct my mistakes. I knew I was being irrational, but at the same time I felt lost, scared, and alone...just like when I had woken up on Nabiki Beach. I wasn't sure what to think. Before I had realized what I was doing, I had shoved Keith backwards and flat on his back and run back inside the school, heading straight upstairs and curling up on my bed. 

* * *

><p><strong>Shayde's POV<strong>

I had no clue as to what just happened. Keith was on his back in the dirt, looking stunned, before sitting up. I didn't know what was running through his head, but I'm sure that he was wondering what the heck was going on with Xena. She had a really explosive reaction to him saying he was going to be going to Fiore. I understood that she was upset, but to have that kind of a reaction...I wasn't sure why she acted like that. But I wasn't going to question it. Everyone reacts in their own way. It's not for me to judge. Keith sat back up, brushing dirt off of his school uniform, furrowing his brow. "Man...I don't know what's gotten into her, but I'm gonna find out," he grumbled and before Rhythmi or I could stop him, he had stood up and run back inside. "Those two act odd sometimes, Shayde. Have you noticed?" Rhythmi asked behind me and I looked over to see her already standing. I stood up as well and frowned. "What do you mean? I haven't noticed them acting any different." It was true. They seemed perfectly normal.

"Oh..you haven't noticed? Well, whenever you bring up Keith around Xena she always seems to get shy and nervous, and I've caught her blushing sometimes. As for Keith, he doesn't seem to like her being brought up around him because he always tries to change the subject. You know what I think it is?" Rhythmi smiled, batting her eyes at me and I could tell excatly what she was thinking. "Rhythmi, you know that they aren't like that. I seriously doubt either has feelings for the other. Don't assume things like that without knowing all the facts first," I stated matter-of-factly. In the background, I heard the school bell ring and both of us looked up. "Looks like it's time for graduation. Well, we better get going," Rhythmi told me and we both went back into the main building, where all of the students were already gathering.

Keith was walking downstairs with Xena, who was being followed by her Arcanine. It seemed to be on guard, walking very close to her. I watched as it butted in between them, pushing Keith away from her and almost down the stairs. He didn't look too happy about it, but he didn't do anything either. Everyone was gathered at the base of the stairs, including Ms. April, Mr. Kincaid, and Principal Lamont, within a few minutes. 

* * *

><p><strong>Omnipotent POV<strong>

"The graduation ceremony will now commence," Kincaid stated loudly, catching everyone's attention, "First, our principal's congratulatory remarks. Principal Lamont, if you will." Lamont stepped forward, a twinkle in his old eyes. "Congratulations, graduates! I'm truly delighted that I can be here to greet this day with all of you. Rangers, Operators, and Mechanics...Though these paths may take you in different directions..." At this Keith and Xena exchanged glances, but Xena quickly turned her head away, looking down at her Arcanine instead. "What I hope for all of you is but the same. "Don't worry, I'm not going to say something impossibly difficult or challenging. All I want to say is, 'Don't forget to smile'. That is all I wish of each and every single one of you. With these simple words, I wish you the very best of luck in all of your endeavors." With that, he stepped back and everyone clapped.

Kincaid cleared his throat and smiled deviously. "Thank you, Principal Lamont. And now, I would like to call forward this graduating class's valedictorian. That would be our best student, Isaac. Please step forward, Isaac." The blonde boy walked up the few steps to stand in front of Lamont and nodded over at Kincaid. "Today, we leave the shelter of this place of learning and nurturing. It's a giant step for us in our pursuits of our long-held dreams. To the teachers who inspired us...To Janice, who was a mother to us all...To all the Pokemon that loved us..and to all of the books in the library. We will never forget. Thank you all so very, very much from all of us students!" Isaac nodded at Lamont, who nodded back, before walking back down the steps and standing back where he had been standing before.

"Isaac, thank you for those most moving words. Next, the conferring of the graduation certificates," Kincaid said and got ahold of the small pile of certificates before Ms. April stopped him, stepping forward. "I would like to call upon one student as the representative of the graduating class. Shayde, step forward please," she told the brown-haired girl and Shayde looked a little flustered and surprised. "Whoa! Shayde, _you're _the representative! That's so cool!" Keith exclaimed, giving her a congratulatory pat on the back before she began walking up to stand next to Ms. April.

She got halfway up the steps when there was a loud crash from the basement in front of everyone, making them all jump and scatter. The floor rumbled and shook below their feet, and more loud crashing sounds emanated from the open doorway to the basement. "What was that?! Was that an explosion?!" Someone yelled. "That noise came from the basement!" Rhythmi whimpered. "Everyone just keep calm!" Ms. April said above the clamor and everyone quieted down slightly. "I...I'll go see what that was!" Kincaid announced and ran downstairs to see what was going on, leaving everyone upstairs.

Kincaid came running back from the basement within seconds, yelling in terror as two Tangrowth chased him up the steps, crashing about into the walls and making everyone run to the far end of the building's foyer, near the doors. The Tangrowth stomped and thrashed around, picking up nearby trashcans and potted plants and throwing them, scattering trash and dirt everywhere. "We have to capture them, otherwise they're gonna tear up the building!" Shayde yelled, starting up the capture program on her School Styler. Keith nodded to her and they both went in to catch the Tangrowth, doing their best to avoid getting hit by poison spores, spiky vines, and the Tangrowths' extendable arms. Shayde stepped to the side to dodge a cloud of spores, getting right in the way of one of the Pokemon's arms, getting thrown backwards. Keith went over to her to help her up, trying to quickly move her out of the way of the rampaging Tangrowth.

Xena jumped in between them, distracting the Pokemon long enough for Keith to carry Shayde out of immediate danger. She raised her hands, slowing walking towards the Pokemon and dodging their swinging vine arms. "Calm down you two! I know you're upset but you have to trust us!" She pleaded, yelping as she was tripped by one of the spiky vines. "Xena!" Keith yelled and came over to try and untangle her, as he had put down Shayde already. She let out a low whine, trying to rip off the vines as they began tangling around her legs further, despite Keith trying to get them back off. The Tangrowth advanced, slamming their arms on the floor near both of them, looming over the students. One of the Pokemon whipped its arm across the floor, knocking Keith away from Xena and grabbing her in the process.

She struggled to get back out of its grip, but the Tangrowth tightened its arm around her, beginning to squeeze her tightly. Xena squeaked and her Arcanine lept onto it, biting at it with fiery fangs to make it let go. "Breeeeeee!" She cried out as the Tangrowth dropped her to try and deal wth the fire dog, making her hit the floor with a dull thud. Shayde came over, catching the Tangrowth while it was distracted by the Arcanine. Keith caught the second one, who seemed to have calmed down and wasn't nearly as aggressive as the first one.

Once both Tangrowth were caught and completely calmed down, everyone came up to Shayde and Keith, congratulating them while Xena sat up a few feet away from all of the noise, rubbing the back of her head. She felt like she didn't exist, with everyone practically climbing all over her friends. She quietly stood up and went upstairs, leaving them to their small celebrations while she began packing the few things that she had brought with her when she first came to school, sitting on her bed quietly. Even from up there, she could hear all of the loud talking from downstairs. After a few minutes, her Arcanine came into the room and sat at her feet, wagging its tail. "Well...I guess after tomorrow you'll be my Partner Pokemon. Once we head to the Ranger Base I'll make sure to tell the leader that you're not going anywhere," she murmured, hugging it around the neck. 

* * *

><p><strong>Xena's POV<strong>

I just sat there, hugging Arcanine for a good couple of minutes before I heard the noise downstairs disappear. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something wasn't quite right. Why hadn't those Tangrowth calmed down when I tried to make them stop raging? I felt like I couldn't connect with them at all, like there was some sort of barrier I couldn't break through to get to them and make them understand. It reminded me a lot of when I did my initiation and Keith and I caught those Gastly. I felt like I couldn't quite get through to them either. And there was that strange noise. It came from someplace in the basement. It sounded muffled, like it was on the other side of a wall. I think even when I was standing there at graduation, I felt a little dizzy and sick, just like when I had heard that noise. The air felt heavy, and it made my head hurt. I wonder_...was it because of that noise? Or maybe..I'm crazy like some of the other students think, and my befriending Pokemon the way I do was just some fluke or freak accident the first couple of times? Does it all have something to do with me not even really knowing who I am and how I ended up here? Will I ever figure out what those gems are, or what's guarding them? Will I ever get the answer to who I really am?_


End file.
